The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Nintendo’s launch prices ranged from $79.95 for the Game Boy Color to $349.99 for the 32GB Wii U in the U.S. table below. The comparison covers Nintendo home consoles and handhelds, using original U.S. and U.K. prices as published by Nintendo Life in 2025. “Launch” is region-specific, and some prices refer to bundles or different hardware configurations rather than a bare console.
Launch prices for Nintendo consoles and handhelds
Prices are nominal launch amounts, not adjusted for inflation. Launch years and prices below follow Nintendo Life’s 2025 comparison; the U.K. NES price is marked approximate by that source. Virtual Boy has no U.K. price listed there.
| System | Launch year | U.S. launch price | U.K. launch price |
|---|---|---|---|
| NES | 1985 | $199 | Approximately £179.99 |
| Game Boy | 1989 | $89.99 | £99 |
| SNES | 1991 | $199.99 | £150 |
| Virtual Boy | 1995 | $179.99 | Not listed (Nintendo Life, 2025) |
| Nintendo 64 | 1997 | $199.99 | £249.99 |
| Game Boy Color | 1998 | $79.95 | £69.99 |
| Game Boy Advance | 2001 | $99.99 | £89 |
| GameCube | 2002 | $199.99 | £129.99 |
| DS | 2004 | $149.99 | £99.99 |
| Wii | 2006 | $249.99 | £179 |
| 3DS | 2011 | $249.99 | £229.99 |
| Wii U, 8GB | 2012 | $299.99 | £249.99 |
| Wii U, 32GB | 2012 | $349.99 | £299.99 |
| Nintendo Switch | 2017 | $299.99 | £279.99 |
Source for all entries: Nintendo Life’s 2025 price comparison. Its figures represent the launch system or bundle; some later SKUs differed in included items. U.S. and U.K. prices are separate regional launch figures, not currency conversions.
Why the NES price needs a package and market label
Nintendo Life lists the 1985 U.S. NES at $199, but identifies that price as the Deluxe Set rather than an unbundled console. Its set included two controllers, Duck Hunt, Gyromite, the Zapper and R.O.B. The first U.S. release was a limited New York test-market launch in October 1985, not a nationwide release; expansion to other cities followed in 1986. The Video Game History Foundation’s account and WIRED’s launch history describe that rollout.
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Retrospective sources do not give one interchangeable NES figure: Kotaku reports $129 and describes a package including two controllers and Super Mario Bros., while Boston University’s sample table gives $199. Those figures refer to differently described launch packages, so the $199 entry should not be read as a universal bare-console MSRP. See Kotaku’s comparison and the Boston University paper.
What the prices say—and what they do not
In the nominal U.S. column, the Game Boy Color is the least expensive system listed at $79.95, while the Wii U 32GB configuration is the highest at $349.99. That is a comparison of listed prices, not a measure of affordability or value: the table spans different decades, bundles, product types and configurations.
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Nintendo Life also estimated 2025 equivalents using the Bank of England inflation calculator for U.K. prices and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics method for U.S. prices. Examples include the NES at $602 and £547, the SNES at $472 and £339, the Nintendo 64 at $399 and £483, the 8GB Wii U at $420 and £353, and the Switch at $363 and £370. These are that publisher’s estimates in 2025 terms, not updated 2026 values; inflation adjustment does not account for package contents, household income or product value. Don Daglow’s separate compilation uses November 2023 dollars, so its adjusted figures should not be combined with Nintendo Life’s without recalculation.
Launch pricing also did not necessarily persist. Jim Norman of Nintendo Life notes that the 3DS and European Nintendo 64 saw price drops shortly after launch to counter poor initial sales; their launch amounts in the table are not later retail prices.
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How to interpret the Switch entry
The original Nintendo Switch launched in 2017 at $299.99 in the U.S. and £279.99 in the U.K., according to Nintendo Life’s comparison. Nintendo’s investor-relations release schedule records the hardware release date as March 3, 2017 in Japan, Europe and the United States. The listed price is the original model’s launch figure, not a claim about current availability or pricing.
Quick Recap
Best Value
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Rank #4
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
